1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a video still camera which is constructed so that a photographed pictorial image is recorded in a built-in recording medium.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, there is a digital camera which is constructed so that a pictorial image photographed through a lens unit is recorded in a built-in memory or a loading memory card used as a recording medium. Moreover, there is such a digital camera which is provided with a liquid crystal image display unit for displaying the photographed pictorial image.
In the digital still camera including the aforesaid image display unit, a pictorial image of an object captured by the lens unit is displayed on the image display unit. Hence, photographing is carried out while looking the pictorial image.
Moreover, the digital still camera is provided with a strobe which is convenient for photographing in poor light or in back light. The strobe is fixed onto a camera body together with the lens unit.
As described above, the digital camera which is constructed so that the photographed image is digitally recorded in the built-in memory, etc, is relatively large in size, and also, a housing for fitting the lens unit and the strobe unit is integrated with a camera body. For this reason, in the case where photographing is carried out in a low angle position or a high angle position, an angle of user""s hand holding the camera body is awkard and therefore, it has been inconvenient for the user.
In particular, in the digital camera including the liquid crystal image display unit, the image display unit comprises a liquid crystal display, and is fitted to a back side of the camera body. The liquid crystal display has a vertical screen, so that during photographing, the user must look the vertical screen in a state of being apart from his eyes. Thus, in the case where the photographing is carried out in a low angle position or a high angle position, an angle of user""s hand holding the camera body must be changed largely, or the user must change his hands holding the camera body in position; therefore, there has arisen a disadvantage that a feel is lost, or operability such as a shutter operation or the like is lost.
In view of such aspects, it is an object of the present invention to provide a video still camera which is capable of carrying out photographing without changing an angle of user""s hand holding the camera body or changing user""s hand position, and which is the most suitable for strobe flash photographing.
To achieve the above object, the present invention provides a video still camera having a construction in which a photographing unit including a lens unit and a strobe unit is attached to a camera body so that it is rotatable in an up-and-down direction.
With the above construction, in the case where photographing is carried out in a low angle position and in a high angle position, the photographing unit is rotatable in the up-and-down direction with respect to the camera body. Whereby strobe flash photographing can be readily carried out in the up-and-down direction and in front and rear directions without changing an angle of user""s hand holding the camera body or changing user""s hand position.